Gammon will compete at national FCCLA event

Curt Gammon’s first place finish qualifies him to compete at the National FCCLA STAR Events. Curt Gammon, competing in Career Investigation, placed first and will compete this summer at the National Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) STAR Events Competition in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Overall, I enjoyed doing Career Investigation. It gave me a chance to explore a career that I now consider myself interested in,” Gammon said. “I really enjoy competing and taking up time with FCCLA. I feel as though it’s greatly beneficial.”

Gammon was one of eight students from Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School who traveled to Athens to compete at the STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) Event last month.

“Students attend the STAR event to compete against other students in several different FCCLA categories to not only gain the beneficial experiences of being able to compete against others, but to make them aware of future obstacles, such as interviews, later on in life and most importantly to learn and have fun while learning,” said Sheila Callaway, the early childhood education teacher at W-WCHS and advisor of FCCLA.

Students from all over Georgia can attend and display their skills at the STAR event. The event gets students ready for interviews and prepares them for the process of being judged by others, similarly in job interviews. By offering a variety of competitions, the event allows students to step out of their comfort zone and be creative. These events are grouped into four separate categories: Foundational, Leadership, Career Preparation, and Online Events.

According to a statement from the organization, Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America is a “dynamic and effective national student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences ed- ucation.” The organization has over 150,000 members and over 6,500 chapters from 50 state associations, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The organization has involved more than 10 million youth since its founding in 1945.

The W-WCHS chapter is affiliated with the Early Childhood Care and Education pathway, a three-course program taught by Callaway that culminates in an internship with the Wilkes County elementary and primary schools, and local day care facilities.